Quarry tile or wood can change room

We have to replace our 30-year-old kitchen linoleum flooring. This floor is also in the back hall as well as the powder room. My husband and I have been having discussions as to what type of flooring we should get. He does not want tile of any sort as he says it is breakable and difficult to put down.

We will be using a contractor to install any new flooring. There is a possibility we would be selling the house within five years.

I would like a floor that is nice, contemporary and durable, and will look good if and when we sell the house. What suggestions do you have as to the best types of flooring and why they should be used?

There are all kinds of flooring these days that endure the kinds of hard wear we subject it to. I wouldn’t rule out quarry tile. I didn’t install it in our present kitchen — the previous owners did — but it has withstood about 12 years of people and dogs and, when we bother to wash it, looks just as good as the day we bought the house 10 years ago.

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Wood flooring also is very popular. In times past, few builders and remodelers recommended wood because of fears of warping caused by excessive moisture, but preservatives have all but eliminated that concern. There’s a lot of hardwood flooring — Brazilian cherry seems to be popular — in the new construction I tour as a real estate writer, but people with environmental concerns steer clear of it in favor of composite lumber or bamboo.

There’s always low-cost vinyl, but, from my experience, if you are going to sell your house, and are looking for a high-end look, you may want to choose something else.